A Week in Barcelona
My new personality is European summer girl. She drinks cava. She wears linen. She eats tapas.
It took less than 24 hours and hardly any observation before I texted my husband “everyone in Barcelona is attractive.”
Later in the week, I shared the same opinion with the gentleman working the desk at my hotel and he laughed and disagreed, but then again, he was very attractive, so I stand by my opinion.
Barcelona is where the glamorous people live or visit, I think. Everyone is fit, well dressed, and their hair looks nice. Is it the cava?
Actually, I think it has to be all the walking. For 7 days, I was logging north of 20,000 steps and look, if I did that every day, I’d probably be more fit too, but there’s something to be said about the easy-breezy style I saw. So well put together, yet so casual. I saw a lot of linen and neutrals and harkening to all the walking, good quality sneakers. I mentally reevaluated my closet from afar - out with the pink; in with the cream.
When you see me obsessing over and fully adopting a European summer style, just know that it all started in Barcelona.
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This is going to be less of a guide and more of a travel diary. I was in town for work, which ate up most of my time, but I arrived a couple days early to squeeze in some sightseeing. I also made a nice habit of getting up early so I had time to walk and explore every morning. I’m no expert and seven days is not enough to have any opinions about “the best” anything, but let’s talk Barcelona. I’ll tell you what I saw, what I enjoyed, and all the tapas I ate, and we’ll just relive it a little together. How’s that?
Logistics // Flight and Arrival
Let’s get the boring stuff out of the way. I live near a small regional airport that has a direct flight to Chicago and because security takes approximately 3 minutes to scoot through, I try to fly out of my airport as often as possible. Conveniently, it’s also just a 40 minute flight to Chicago, which opens the gate to pretty much anywhere in the world.
The flight to Barcelona from Chicago was direct, so it was a long one. I suggest you do whatever you have to do to make like Peter Pan, and fly straight on til morning. For me that was an eye mask, pre-downloaded ASMR, and a quality neck pillow. Wouldn’t have said no to a pharmaceutical.
Once I arrived, passing through Customs in Barcelona was easy peasy. The line was long, but moved quickly. I scanned my passport and fingerprints, and then answered some questions about my plans in a computer system - what I came for, how long I was staying, etc. Then I scanned my passport again while a camera recognized my face. Presto, the little swing doors opened up and I was in.
As for my hotel, I stayed at Yurbban Ramblas Boutique Hotel and it was lovely. A wonderful rooftop deck. Great breakfast. Convenient location.
Barcelona Style // What I Packed and Actually Wore
I refuse to check a bag. Delta lost my bag one time in 2009 and forevermore, I am a scorned lover who can never trust again. So I went full capsule wardrobe, focusing on neutral colors so everything could be worn together. Black, white, tan. No pops of color. I’m not fucking around - it must all go together and it must all fit in an 11” x 9” x 18” or whatever those carry-on dimensions are this week.
Shoes
Pack your walking shoes, baby. You can Uber around if you want to throw a lot of money at it, but I recommend walking because the city is made for it and sight-seeing is the point, right? That said, if you don’t have the right shoes, you will be humbled.
I saw lots of sambas and spezials, but as for me, I left mine at home because I tend to be a little precious with them and I had intentions to pound the MF pavement. Instead I picked up these extremely budget friendly sneakers and was very pleased with their performance. I also think they’re really attractive and since cute, comfortable, and affordable don’t often overlap on the Venn diagram, it’s a real win.
Listen and trust - everyone is wearing sneakers and they’re wearing them all the time. With skirts, with linen, with everything. Forget your fancy shoes and just focus on the sneakers, I promise you will not regret it. Bring sandals if you must, but I recommend keeping them flat and featuring some kind of cushiony support.
Clothes
Soft pants are in and I am cosigned on that without any further information. My go-tos were these High Waisted Playa Wide Leg Pants from Old Navy. I have them in brown and black and wore the heck out of them for work and play. Paired with a blazer at the work stuff, and with a plain tee tucked in for tapas and spritzes.
I also brought these $30 jeans that are a total score from Target. I have a dark wash and a cream pair and both earned their spot in the carry-on.
I packed several of these $8 tank tops. They take up minimal space and work well under a blazer, or as a standalone top.
I brought along four basic t-shirts that I found at TJ Maxx. I had black, white, cream, and tan, and those pretty much rounded out what I wore on a daily basis.
Finally, I brought along a denim jacket. It cools down at night and a good denim jacket will go with anything.
Extras
I bought this fake ring because I’m always scared I’ll lose my real wedding ring when I travel. Why would I lose it? IDK but it’s my irrational travel fear. I don’t mind flying over an entire ocean, but the ring? Terrified. $14 for peace of mind is CHEAP.
Guys, clear pencil cases are a travel hack for your liquids and make-up. Rigid edges keep everything safe. Clear keeps security happy. The aesthetic organization keeps my mind right. Everyone is pleased.
I was warned by the internet and basically everyone in hospitality that Barcelona is a hotbed of pick-pocketers and wow, did that stress me out. I bought this flat money belt that I could wear under my shirt. I kept my passport, ID, and some credit cards literally on my body at all times. Peace of mind!
Barcelona Sight Seeing // What I Did
Well, mostly I ate. I was content to spend my free time wandering around the city having a nice Anthony Bourdain day, which is to say I’d stop and eat wherever the food and ambiance looked good. I’d also cleverly narrate my observations. That’s not a joke.
Segrada Familia
If you google “what to do in Barcelona” even once, you will have the Segrada Familia recommended to you no less than a thousand times. Construction began on the church more than a 130 years ago and it’s still not finished for a whole myriad of reasons, but it is complete enough to be a real wonder of the world. If you want to go inside, plan ahead because tickets are sold out weeks in advance. I did not plan accordingly, so I could only check it out from the exterior, which is still very worth the trip. Very cool architecture and sculptures.
Gaudi Buildings
Gaudi was a designer with a very unique style. Casa Vicens and Casa Battle are near each other and in the middle of a pretty touristy area, so it’s hard to miss and you’ll know you’re there when you see the constant crowd looking up. I didn’t go into these either, but the exteriors were cool to look at. If you enjoy walking, I’d recommend planning a little walking tour that’ll take you by both.
Barcelona Cathedral
Now I did opt to purchase tickets for this tour. A true gothic church built in the 14th century, the interior is wonderful. Make sure you look UP! The attention to detail from floor to ceiling will knock your socks off. I popped up to the rooftop to wander around, which delivered incredible views of the city. Tickets were $17 and very worth the money IMO.
Things I Recommend Heartily
Walk to La Barceloneta to put your feet in the Mediterranean Sea.
Get a dirty martini from No. 3 Cocktail Bar. Chimichurri brine, you guys.
Paella from 4 Gatos
An Anthony Bourdain day in the Gothic Quarter.
A rooftop bar at sunset.
The banana latte and avocado toast at Brunch & Cake
Popcorn flavored gelato. Please have faith in me on this one.
A Few Things I Did Not Know
A friendly heads up because these bits took me by surprise -
Water is not free like it is in America. You have to specifically ask for water at restaurants and ask for more when you would like a refill.
Pay for the water. You cannot live on cava and coffee.
A lot of restaurants serve tapas and entrees family-style, so plan to share.
If you do Uber around, close your eyes tight because the driving style is aggressive.
Bring a bag with a zipper closure and don’t leave your phone sitting on the table. The pickpocketing is hyped, but if you take care of your shit, you’ll be fine.
If you use your card, they’ll ask if you want to pay in Euro or USD. Choose the Euro. This ensures that your CC company verifies the conversion rate and bypasses any weird conversion fees that the merchant might arbitrarily apply.
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Flying home was a bit of a kerfuffle but only once I reached Chicago, where the customs line was 12 city blocks long and my layover was a tight hour and a half, complicated by a 30 minute delayed arrival. I got bumped to another flight an hour later, so alls well that ends well.
What a trip! And it really opened my eyes to how easy it is to travel, kerfuffles and long flights aside. Now I’m casually dreaming about all the other European locales I want to visit. Next on the list - Prague, Portugal, Copenhagen - and open to recommendations!